Shant Kenderian
Encyclopedia
Shant Kenderian is notable as an Iraqi-born United States citizen who became an American prisoner-of-war after being forced to fight against the United States in the Persian Gulf War
.
He wrote a book about his adventures, and is currently an engineer in Pasadena
.
permanent resident of Armenian
Christian background attending Wheeling High School
in Chicago
.
He visited his father in Iraq in 1980, and 7 days later the Iran–Iraq War started, blocking him from leaving the country. After graduating college in 1985, he was forced into the Iraqi Navy
and fought in the Iran–Iraq War.
Before he could get his green card processed to leave Iraq, the Persian Gulf War
started and he was forced to fight against the Americans. Captured by the Americans, he was a prisoner of war
until he could convince the Americans of his story. At first the Americans didn't believe his story and thought him a Saddamite spy. While being held in POW camp, he became romantically involved with "Monica", one of the guards. Eventually he was allowed to return to the United States where he reunited with his mother in Glendale
.
, his book was picked up by a publisher.
in 2002. He contributed to the Space Shuttle Columbia Investigation Team and received the American Society for Nondestructive Testing Research Award for Innovation in 2005. He currently works for The Aerospace Corporation
where he researches nondestructive testing
.
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
.
He wrote a book about his adventures, and is currently an engineer in Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
.
Wars in Iraq
Shant Kenderian was an Iraqi-born United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
permanent resident of Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
Christian background attending Wheeling High School
Wheeling High School
Wheeling High School, or WHS, is a public four-year high school located in Wheeling, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 214, which also includes Buffalo Grove High School, Elk Grove High School, John Hersey High...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
He visited his father in Iraq in 1980, and 7 days later the Iran–Iraq War started, blocking him from leaving the country. After graduating college in 1985, he was forced into the Iraqi Navy
Iraqi Navy
The Iraqi Navy is one of the components of the military of Iraq currently being reconstructed by UK-US Coalition forces in Iraq. Its primary responsibilities are the protection of Iraq's coastline and offshore assets...
and fought in the Iran–Iraq War.
Before he could get his green card processed to leave Iraq, the Persian Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
started and he was forced to fight against the Americans. Captured by the Americans, he was a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
until he could convince the Americans of his story. At first the Americans didn't believe his story and thought him a Saddamite spy. While being held in POW camp, he became romantically involved with "Monica", one of the guards. Eventually he was allowed to return to the United States where he reunited with his mother in Glendale
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
.
Book
After returning to the United States, Shant Kenderian wrote about his adventures in Iraq. After he did a reading of his book on the radio show This American LifeThis American Life
This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
, his book was picked up by a publisher.
Current Life
Shant Kenderian became an American citizen in 2000 and he received a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Johns Hopkins UniversityJohns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
in 2002. He contributed to the Space Shuttle Columbia Investigation Team and received the American Society for Nondestructive Testing Research Award for Innovation in 2005. He currently works for The Aerospace Corporation
The Aerospace Corporation
The Aerospace Corporation is a private, non-profit corporation headquartered in El Segundo, California that has operated a Federally Funded Research and Development Center for the United States Air Force since 1960...
where he researches nondestructive testing
Nondestructive testing
Nondestructive testing or Non-destructive testing is a wide group of analysis techniques used in science and industry to evaluate the properties of a material, component or system without causing damage....
.